Pumpkin Ale Cake with Cream Cheese Icing

by Beth on October 5, 2012

Like a big bear awaking from hibernation, my baking mojo is back and ready to roar.

I baked three times in 5 days, which has been nearly unheard of from me recently. Maybe it’s that it finally cooled down. Maybe it’s that I have a lot more time now that I’m not running significant mileage every day after work (although in a happy update on that front, I did a test run today and was able to run 20 minutes before I felt the first twinge of pain! Hopefully when I go to PT in the morning they will tell me this means I’m moving in the right direction, because I’ve been a pretty miserable person the last few weeks). Or maybe it’s just that after a solid month on the road, I missed being in the kitchen.

But whatever the reason it’s back, I’m glad to have it–because today I’m going to be a baking machine and churn out 100 cupcakes. Iced and ready to go for Kori’s wedding party at the Broadkill Beach Club on Saturday. I’m certain it’s the most cupcakes I’ve ever made at once, and certainly the biggest project ever in the tiny BBC kitchen, so wish me luck!!!

But for now, let’s look at the cake that brought it all back. Pumpkin + Bundt always equals awesome on this blog!

Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a Bundt pan with nonstick baking spray, like Pam for baking.

In a medium saucepan over medium heat (you need room for the mixture to foam up), combine the ale and molasses. Bring to a boil, then remove from the heat and stir in the baking soda. It will bubble up, that’s okay. Set aside to let it cool.

In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, sugars, oil, pumpkin puree and ginger. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, ground ginger, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice and salt.

Add about a third of the dry ingredients to the egg mixture and stir just until combined. Add half the molasses mixture, then another third of the dry ingredients, the rest of the molasses mixture and the rest of the dry ingredients, stirring after each addition just until combined.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for an hour, until the top is springy to the touch. Cool for a few minutes, then invert onto a wire rack while still warm. Cool completely before spreading with cream cheese frosting.

To make frosting: In a large bowl, beat the butter and cream cheese with an electric mixer until creamy. Gradually add the confectioners sugar, milk and vanilla, beating until the mixture is smooth

And this thing, people, was SERIOUSLY good. I was watching the Brooks Robinson game with my brother as the O’s beat the Red Sox, so I wasn’t there for the baking, and I didn’t get this until later on Sunday. And my god, it was worth it. The cream cheese icing was perfect on it. The pumpkin was not really overpowering, and was more like a less dense carrot cake – though maybe that was the cream cheese icing. Standards of propriety kept me from grabbing the whole thing, racing to a corner, and fending others off with my fork while I consumed it. I’m waiting for its return…..

Pumpkin Ale Bundt cake, fabulous! I stumbled across the recipe while hunting for ideas for a Halloween themed wedding cake for a friend. I baked the cake in layers rather than as a bundt. (3 batches). Brushed Martha Stewart’s ginger infused simple syrup on each layer after they cooled and frosted the whole cake with orange cream cheese frosting. It looked great and tasted delicious. People were raving about it at the reception. Even went back for seconds! Thank you for a great recipe!